About BABS
BABS Comedy Club was founded by Emily Ramirez to create a positive, professional, and HILARIOUS comedy experience for both audience and performer. Using her years of production and performance experience, an ever-growing roster of incredible comedians, and empathic understanding of people, Emily is passionate about nurturing a joyful, supportive, equitable, environment to laugh and grow in. One of her life's mantras is "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Some of the most important changes Emily wants are more thoughtful, mentor-focused directors and more women leading the world of comedy. Cheers, to being
the change!
A little trivia: 'BABS' is an acronym for "Bad A$$ B*tch" because that's what Emily's closest friends lovingly refer to her as. And as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler famously said on SNL:
About Emily Ramirez,
owner
Emily Ramirez first began her stage career as a professional ballerina dancing for companies such as Houston Ballet 2, BalletMet, Charlotte Ballet, and several other companies as a guest artist. Career highlights include dozens of iconic principal ballet roles ("Sugarplum Fairy" in The Nutcracker, "Black Swan/Odille" in Swan Lake, "Alice" In Alice in Wonderland, and many more!) and performances at the Joyce Theatre in NYC, The Kennedy Center, and on tours in Germany, France, and Russia.
A proud member of the Actor's Equity union, she has performed in several musicals, in such roles as “Meg Giry” in Phantom of the Opera, (Broadway North American tour) “Sally Bowles” in Cabaret (PPT), “Morticia Addams” in The Addams Family (PPT), Ensemble/Ballet feature in An American In Paris, (Drury Lane Oakbrook) ensemble in Evita (Drury Lane Oakbrook), and “Constance Sack” in Rock of Ages (ATC). She also has 20 years of concurrent dance education and award-winning choreographic experience, both in ballet and musical theatre.
After relocating to Chicago to pursue her passion for comedy, she subsequently graduated from the Second City Conservatory and the Sketch Writing and Standup Comedy programs, and studied musical and long form improv at Second City, and i/O. It was in Chicago that she discovered her passion for writing, producing, and direction. She was an improv house player for The Comedy Shrine from 2019-2022, performing short form and music improv. Sketch shows include Beast Infection-- writer/director/choreographer/composer (Second City, Blackout Cabaret), Monday Night Live- performer (i/O), Wednesday Night Live- writer/performer (Trident Network), Jumping To Delusions- writer (Second City, Donny's Skybox), The Preston SHO’ffill- writer, performer (Comedy Shrine), and To The Zoom and Back- writer/performer
(Second City UP Theatre), 9 to 5 The Musical- director (Metropolitan Opera House), Yippee Ki-Yay, a Die Hard Musical Parody- co-director/co-choreographer (Annoyance Theater), and It's That Time of the Month, A Femme Comedy Variety Show- producer/writer/performer. Emily has been featured in standup showcases such as Big Schtick Energy, The Women’s Standup Showcase at My Buddy’s, Second City’s DeMaat Theatre, and more.
Emily is a contributing writer for sketch comedy channels including Faker Comedy, TurnHeel Comedy, Trident Network’s Wednesday Night Live, The Annoyance Theatre’s Cigarette Sandwich Power Hour on Twitch. Her work has also been featured on Chicago Comedy Co-Op, The Comedy Brief, WhoHaHa.com, and Comedians on Call. Always keeping a firm (fully-pointed) foot in the ballet world she loves, Emily teaches ballet and choreographs at several studios across Chicago. She also enjoys presenting her lecture, The Self-Image Strategy, to pre-professional performers across the country, giving them the tools to maintain their confidence and self-worth while navigating the rigorous demands of life as a performer. Emily lives in the tiny apartment above her BABS Comedy Club with her wonderful husband Chase and their two entitled lapdogs, Charlie and Sophie.